An uncommon manifestation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is systemic vasculitis associated with Type II cryoglobulinemia (cryoglobulinemic vasculitis), a proliferative B cell disorder that transforms to B cell malignancy in 5-10% of patients. The duration of HCV infection required for development of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis is not well delineated, but appears to be a decade or more. As the majority of people infected do not experience any symptoms during this prolonged period prior to onset of symptoms of cryoblobulinemic vasculits, early diagnosis of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis or the associated B cell malignancies is rarely made. Since hepatitis C patients are not likely to be treated before they become symptomatic, there is a need in the art for the discovery of prognostic markers that aid in the early diagnosis of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis and the associated B cell malignancies in HCV-infected patients.